Review of Literature - Health Promotion

Review of Literature - Health Promotion

Introduction

The consistently rising prevalence of poor health among various populations, as well as, the associated pressures, make it necessary for a skillful workforce of nurses in health promotions. The rising incidence of complex and complex medical illnesses increases the need further. The nursing staff plays a critical role in health promotion and prevention of illnesses. Nurses are considered as ambassadors of wellness, by caring for the well, in addition to, caring for sick. In times of excessive budget cuts, cost reduction, and shortages of staff, health promotion is the answer to several of these issues. By preserving wellness, the number of times a person requires the need of health care system is reduced, which significantly reduces costs (Kelehera & Parker, 2012).

Discussion

Definition of 'Health Promotion'

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Health Promotion is defined as a “process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health,” (WHO, 2013). On the other hand, the new definition proposed by O'Donnell (2009) characterizes health promotion as a multidimensional phenomenon, comprising of art and science. The science component puts considerable stress on the physical and social environmental factors as the predictors of health behaviors among individuals. Furthermore, the most powerful component is at the cognitive levels, which facilitates in motivating people to strive for optimal health. Health promotions aim to enhance the skills, knowledge, and awareness of lifestyle modifications essential for positive health outcomes. An important point of concern is that optimal health is not a static point. Instead, it is a dynamic condition, continuously changing with the circumstances of life. Lastly, health promotion focuses beyond the individual behaviors, to include a wide array of social and environmental interventions (O'Donnell, 2009, pp. iv-iv).

Purpose of health promotion in nursing practice

As mentioned before, the nursing staff plays a key role as ambassadors of wellness. Nurses, amongst all health care providers, have the closest contacts with the patients while providing them care. While the primary care nurses are valuable assets in the general practice setting, they also play a key role in promoting wellness. Furthermore, nurses are highly educated health care professionals, who are easily accessible by most people. For this reason, they play a primary role in educating and creating awareness among the well population about the prevention of diseases, as well as, lifestyle modification of individuals in view of their ...